Albert Kraus
Encyclopedia
Albert “The Hurricane” Kraus (born August 3, 1980 in Oss
) is a Dutch
welterweight
kickboxer. He was the first K-1 World MAX 2002 champion and has also held four separate world titles in kickboxing and Muay Thai
. He is currently fighting out of Super Pro Gym in K-1 MAX
.
. In 1997 he had his first amateur fight, winning convincingly by first round knockout
. After numerous amateur victories Kraus switched to Bully’s Gym in Rhenen
. He would make his professional debut in 1999 in Rotterdam
, defeating his opponent Kany via second round knockout. By 2001 he had won the Dutch F.I.M.A.C, European I.K.B.F and W.K.A
World titles.
Kraus made his K-1
debut on February 24, 2002 at the K-1 World Grand Prix 2002 Preliminary Netherlands and was invited to the inaugural K-1 MAX World Championship on May 11, 2002. In the tournament quarter finals he faced Shane Chapman
from New Zealand
and won the evenly fought battle by a single point on the three judges' cards to take a unanimous decision
. In the semi finals Albert Kraus met local crowd favourite Masato
. Kraus scored a down with a punch at 2:31 into the first round and held on to earn his second consecutive unanimous decision and advance to the finals. He needed just one minute to put Kaolan Kaovichit
down with a punch combination to become the first-ever K-1 World Max Champion.
In 2003 Kraus switched to Super Pro Gym. He entered the K-1 World MAX 2003 World Tournament as reigning champion and tournament favourite. Kraus defeated both of his opponents by stoppage on route to the final but was unable to retain his title, losing to Masato
by knockout at 2:26 of the second round. After the tournament Albert Kraus would continue fighting in a number of events in K-MAX and Super League, winning seven straight bouts through 2003 and 2004 and qualifying for the K-1 World MAX 2004 World Tournament Final
where he would reach the semi finals. The following year, Albert Kraus would once more take part in the K-1 World MAX 2005 Championship defeating John Wayne Parr
in the quarter finals only to lose to Thai
fighter Buakaw Por. Pramuk in the semi finals. Despite the disappointment of another semi final defeat, Kraus would finish the year on a high by defeating Menno Dijkstra at Kraus's hometown of Oss
to win the I.K.B.A. world title.
2006 would be a mixed year for Albert Kraus. He suffered an early exit at the quarter final stage of the K-1 World MAX 2006 World Championship to Gago Drago
but did manage to regain his I.K.B.A. World title by defeating James Martinez. 2007 started badly for Albert as he lost two straight fights, including a shock decision loss to little known Japanese fighter Tatsuji. He improved as the year progressed qualifying for the 6th annual K-1 World MAX Final on October 3, 2007. Kraus fought and defeated Yoshihiro Sato
by decision in the quarter finals and in the semis he met 2005 Champion Andy Souwer
and lost the battle by majority decision. Souwer went on to fight Masato in the finals and eventually won the championship.
Kraus had a stuttering start to 2008, losing his W.F.C.A. Thai Boxing junior middleweight world title fight to Faldir Chahbari and missing out on qualification for the K-1 MAX World Final for the very first time - losing to Buakaw Por. Pramuk at the K-1 World MAX 2008 World Championship Tournament Final 16. Losing out on a place at the final seemed to re-invigorate Kraus as he went on a seven match winning streak throughout 2008 and the beginning of 2009 - a streak that included winning the 2008 "King Of The Ring" Welterweight World title. He finally tasted defeat at the K-1 World MAX 2009 Final 8 quarter final stage to eventual champion Giorgio Petrosyan
. Since that defeat Albert Kraus has won five straight and has booked his place in the quarter finals of the forthcoming K-1 World MAX 2010 Final
by defeating Hiroki Nakajima
by decision at the K-1 World MAX 2010 World Championship Tournament Final 16. He again tasted defeat at the K-1 World MAX 2010 quarter final stage to the reigning champion Giorgio Petrosyan
who would go on to win the tournament.
Oss
Oss is a municipality and a city in the southern Netherlands, in the province of Noord Brabant.- Population centres :-Transportation:* Railway stations: Oss, Oss West, Ravenstein- The city of Oss :...
) is a Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
welterweight
Kickboxing weight classes
Kickboxing weight class names and its system are not unified at all, so each weight division system of every kickboxing organization is shown in this article.-Amateur:-Professional:Males and females follow the same weight division system....
kickboxer. He was the first K-1 World MAX 2002 champion and has also held four separate world titles in kickboxing and Muay Thai
Muay Thai
Muay Thai is a combat sport from Thailand that uses stand-up striking along with various clinching techniques. It is similar to other Indochinese kickboxing systems, namely pradal serey from Cambodia, tomoi from Malaysia, lethwei from Myanmar and muay Lao from Laos...
. He is currently fighting out of Super Pro Gym in K-1 MAX
K-1
K-1 is a defunct world-wide kickboxing promotion based in Tokyo, Japan founded by Kazuyoshi Ishii, a formerKyokushin karate practitioner. K-1 combines stand up techniques from Muay Thai, Karate, Taekwondo, Savate, San Shou, kickboxing, western-style boxing, and other martial arts...
.
Biography and career
Albert Kraus started boxing at 14 years old, later switching over to kickboxing aged 17 fighting out of Gino Albert Gym in OssOss
Oss is a municipality and a city in the southern Netherlands, in the province of Noord Brabant.- Population centres :-Transportation:* Railway stations: Oss, Oss West, Ravenstein- The city of Oss :...
. In 1997 he had his first amateur fight, winning convincingly by first round knockout
Knockout
A knockout is a fight-ending, winning criterion in several full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, mixed martial arts, Karate and others sports involving striking...
. After numerous amateur victories Kraus switched to Bully’s Gym in Rhenen
Rhenen
Rhenen is a municipality and a city in the central Netherlands.The municipality also includes the villages of Achterberg, Remmerden, Elst and Laareind. The town lies at a geographically interesting location, namely on the southernmost part of the chain of hills known as the Utrecht Hill Ridge ,...
. He would make his professional debut in 1999 in Rotterdam
Rotterdam
Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...
, defeating his opponent Kany via second round knockout. By 2001 he had won the Dutch F.I.M.A.C, European I.K.B.F and W.K.A
World Kickboxing Association
The World Kickboxing Association is one of the oldest and the largest amateur and professional sanctioning organizations of kickboxing in the world for the sport. Its official name is "World Kickboxing and Karate Association"....
World titles.
Kraus made his K-1
K-1
K-1 is a defunct world-wide kickboxing promotion based in Tokyo, Japan founded by Kazuyoshi Ishii, a formerKyokushin karate practitioner. K-1 combines stand up techniques from Muay Thai, Karate, Taekwondo, Savate, San Shou, kickboxing, western-style boxing, and other martial arts...
debut on February 24, 2002 at the K-1 World Grand Prix 2002 Preliminary Netherlands and was invited to the inaugural K-1 MAX World Championship on May 11, 2002. In the tournament quarter finals he faced Shane Chapman
Shane Chapman
Shane "Choppa" Chapman is a New Zealand super middleweight kickboxer and boxer, fighting out of City Lee Gar Gym in Auckland. He is the 2002 and 2004 K-1 Oceania MAX champion and 4 time Muay Thai World champion.- Biography and career:...
from New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
and won the evenly fought battle by a single point on the three judges' cards to take a unanimous decision
Unanimous decision
A unanimous decision is a winning criterion in several full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, mixed martial arts and others sports involving striking in which all three judges agree on which fighter won the match....
. In the semi finals Albert Kraus met local crowd favourite Masato
Masato (kickboxer)
Masato Kobayashi is a Japanese former welterweight kickboxer. He was the world champion of ISKA at Welterweight under Oriental rules, and he is the winner of K-1 WORLD MAX World tournament in 2003 and 2008...
. Kraus scored a down with a punch at 2:31 into the first round and held on to earn his second consecutive unanimous decision and advance to the finals. He needed just one minute to put Kaolan Kaovichit
Kaolan Kaovichit
Kaolan Kaovichit is a Thai former kickboxer. He was the runner up of K-1 World Max 2002.-Biography:Kaolan Kaovichit was born in Songkhla Province, Thailand on May 12, 1978 as Jahormat Miyundichar.-Titles:...
down with a punch combination to become the first-ever K-1 World Max Champion.
In 2003 Kraus switched to Super Pro Gym. He entered the K-1 World MAX 2003 World Tournament as reigning champion and tournament favourite. Kraus defeated both of his opponents by stoppage on route to the final but was unable to retain his title, losing to Masato
Masato (kickboxer)
Masato Kobayashi is a Japanese former welterweight kickboxer. He was the world champion of ISKA at Welterweight under Oriental rules, and he is the winner of K-1 WORLD MAX World tournament in 2003 and 2008...
by knockout at 2:26 of the second round. After the tournament Albert Kraus would continue fighting in a number of events in K-MAX and Super League, winning seven straight bouts through 2003 and 2004 and qualifying for the K-1 World MAX 2004 World Tournament Final
K-1 World MAX 2004 World Tournament Final
K-1 World MAX 2004 World Tournament Final was a kickboxing and martial arts event promoted by the K-1 organization. It was the third K-1 MAX final for middleweight kickboxers involving eight finalists and two reserve fighters, with all bouts fought under K-1 rules...
where he would reach the semi finals. The following year, Albert Kraus would once more take part in the K-1 World MAX 2005 Championship defeating John Wayne Parr
John Wayne Parr
John Wayne "The Gunslinger" Parr , also known as JWP, is an Australian middleweight kickboxer and boxer, fighting out of Boonchu Gym in Gold Coast, Queensland. He is a 8 time World Champion and runner up in The Contender Asia....
in the quarter finals only to lose to Thai
Thai people
The Thai people, or Siamese, are the main ethnic group of Thailand and are part of the larger Tai ethnolinguistic peoples found in Thailand and adjacent countries in Southeast Asia as well as southern China. Their language is the Thai language, which is classified as part of the Kradai family of...
fighter Buakaw Por. Pramuk in the semi finals. Despite the disappointment of another semi final defeat, Kraus would finish the year on a high by defeating Menno Dijkstra at Kraus's hometown of Oss
Oss
Oss is a municipality and a city in the southern Netherlands, in the province of Noord Brabant.- Population centres :-Transportation:* Railway stations: Oss, Oss West, Ravenstein- The city of Oss :...
to win the I.K.B.A. world title.
2006 would be a mixed year for Albert Kraus. He suffered an early exit at the quarter final stage of the K-1 World MAX 2006 World Championship to Gago Drago
Gago Drago
Gago Drago is an Armenian-Dutch welterweight kickboxer, fighting out of Alkmaar, Netherlands. He is known for his punch combinations and unpredictable kicking techniques and highly aggressive fighting style...
but did manage to regain his I.K.B.A. World title by defeating James Martinez. 2007 started badly for Albert as he lost two straight fights, including a shock decision loss to little known Japanese fighter Tatsuji. He improved as the year progressed qualifying for the 6th annual K-1 World MAX Final on October 3, 2007. Kraus fought and defeated Yoshihiro Sato
Yoshihiro Sato
is a Japanese kickboxer competing in K-1 at middleweight . He is the former world champion of Muay Thai in WKA and WPKC, and he won the Japanese national tournament of K-1 twice in 2006 and 2007. His official nickname is "Mugen Sniper" which means Infinite Sniper.- Amateur era :He was born in...
by decision in the quarter finals and in the semis he met 2005 Champion Andy Souwer
Andy Souwer
Andreas "Andy" Souwer is a Dutch welterweight shoot boxer. He is two time K-1 World MAX champion as well as a three time Shootboxing World tournament champion, fighting out of Mejiro Gym, Amsterdam, Netherlands....
and lost the battle by majority decision. Souwer went on to fight Masato in the finals and eventually won the championship.
Kraus had a stuttering start to 2008, losing his W.F.C.A. Thai Boxing junior middleweight world title fight to Faldir Chahbari and missing out on qualification for the K-1 MAX World Final for the very first time - losing to Buakaw Por. Pramuk at the K-1 World MAX 2008 World Championship Tournament Final 16. Losing out on a place at the final seemed to re-invigorate Kraus as he went on a seven match winning streak throughout 2008 and the beginning of 2009 - a streak that included winning the 2008 "King Of The Ring" Welterweight World title. He finally tasted defeat at the K-1 World MAX 2009 Final 8 quarter final stage to eventual champion Giorgio Petrosyan
Giorgio Petrosyan
Gevorg "Giorgio" Petrosyan is an Armenian-Italian welterweight kickboxer, fighting out of Satori Gladiatorium in Gorizia, Italy. He is the two time K-1 World MAX champion and WKN Intercontinental Middleweight Muay Thai champion....
. Since that defeat Albert Kraus has won five straight and has booked his place in the quarter finals of the forthcoming K-1 World MAX 2010 Final
K-1 World MAX 2010 World Championship Tournament Final
K-1 World MAX 2010 –70 kg World Championship Tournament Final was a martial arts event to be held by the K-1 on Monday, November 8, 2010 at the Ryōgoku Kokugikan in Tokyo, Japan. It will be the 9th inaugural K-1 World Max Final, the culmination of a year full of regional elimination tournaments...
by defeating Hiroki Nakajima
Hiroki Nakajima
Hiroki Nakajima in Tokyo, Japan is a Japanese welterweight kickboxer fighting out of Tokyo, Japan for the Bungeling Bay gym. He is the 2009 Krush middleweight tournament champion and 2010 K-1 World MAX Japan runner up, currently fighting in K-1 MAX...
by decision at the K-1 World MAX 2010 World Championship Tournament Final 16. He again tasted defeat at the K-1 World MAX 2010 quarter final stage to the reigning champion Giorgio Petrosyan
Giorgio Petrosyan
Gevorg "Giorgio" Petrosyan is an Armenian-Italian welterweight kickboxer, fighting out of Satori Gladiatorium in Gorizia, Italy. He is the two time K-1 World MAX champion and WKN Intercontinental Middleweight Muay Thai champion....
who would go on to win the tournament.
Titles
- 2011 SuperKombat Middleweight Championship (-72 kg)
- 2008 W.I.P.U. "King Of The Ring" Muay Thai Super Welterweight World Champion -70 kg
- 2005-06 I.K.B.A. Thai-Boxing World Champion -70 kg (1 title defense)
- 2003 K-1 World MAX Finalist
- 2002 K-1 World MAX Champion
- 2001 W.K.A.World Kickboxing AssociationThe World Kickboxing Association is one of the oldest and the largest amateur and professional sanctioning organizations of kickboxing in the world for the sport. Its official name is "World Kickboxing and Karate Association"....
World Champion - I.K.B.F. European Champion
- F.I.M.A.C. Dutch Champion
Kickboxing record
| Kickboxing Record | |
|---|---|
Legend: |
|
See also
- List of K-1 events
- List of male kickboxers
- List of K-1 champions
- List of kickboxing organizations